As is known, ink jet printing is a non-impact printing technique in which droplets of ink are ejected through fine nozzles or orifaces in a printhead onto a substrate, such a web of stock material, without bringing the nozzles into contact with the substrate. The ink droplets land on the substrate thereby printing user-desired information there. For higher quality, higher resolution printing applications, the number of orifices in the printhead is increased and the diameter of such orifices is reduced in size. Consequently, for full color printed images, inks have been developed that include dyes and/or pigments and various carriers and/or solvents which are resistant to drying or otherwise clogging the orifices in the printhead. These modified inks require longer drying times and/or are prone to color mixing or bleeding, thereby resulting in poorer quality images.
In order to limit the color mixing or bleeding associated with these modified ink formulations, specialty papers incorporating exotic coatings have been developed. These specialty papers are fabricated using conventional paper making techniques wherein a fibrous pulp is deposited on a wire screen and dried to form a web. The web includes minute pores or voids between the cellulosic fibers for absorption of liquids therein. The coating is depositing on the web to change the porosity and the hydrophilic properties of the web. As a result, the coated web has the ability to absorb or repel aqueous and/or organic fluids which may be used as carrier fluids in the ink formulations.
Heretofore, ink jet label printers have been developed that allow a user to print information, such as bar codes, on coated, adhesive backed labels. More specifically, blank adhesive labels are carried on a flexible web from a supply roll that is fed through the ink jet label printer wherein the desired information is printed thereon. It can be appreciated that it would be often desirable to use the ink jet label printer for printing on tag stock to provide photo quality tags. However, coated tag stock is not readily available due to the costs associated with manufacturing the product. Hence, it is highly desirable to provide a simple and inexpensive method of fabricating coated label stock for use in conjunction with an ink jet label printer so as to allow a user to print photo quality tags.
Therefore, it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide a method of fabricating ink jet label stock for use in conjunction with an ink jet label printer.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide a method of fabricating ink jet label stock for use in conjunction with an ink jet label printer that is simple and inexpensive to perform.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide a method of fabricating ink jet label stock for use in conjunction with an ink jet label printer that allows a user to print photo quality tags.
In accordance with the present invention, a method is provided of fabricating ink jet labels. The method includes the step of providing a web of tag stock paper. The web has first and second sides. A web of ink jet stock paper is provided. The ink jet stock paper has a first side coated with an ink jet coating and a second side. The second side of the ink jet stock paper is laminated to the first side of the tag stock paper to provide a web of label stock.
The second side of ink jet paper includes an adhesive thereon and method may include the additional step of printing a plurality of spaced registration marks on the second side of the web of tag stock paper. The web of label stock has first and second edges and the method may include the additional step of die cutting a plurality of spaced perforations in the label stock. Each perforation is disposed on a corresponding registration mark. In addition, each perforation is transverse to the first edge of the web of label stock. The web of label stock may be cut between the first and second edges to define a web of labels. The web of labels has a predetermined width. Thereafter, a user may print information onto the first side of the ink jet stock paper.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a method is provided of fabricating ink jet labels. The method includes the step of laminating a second side of a web of ink jet stock paper to a first side of a web of tag stock paper to provide a web of label stock. A plurality of spaced registration marks is printed on a second side of the web of tag stock paper. Perforations are die cut in the web of label stock.
A first side of the web of ink jet stock paper is coated and the second side of the web of ink jet paper includes an adhesive thereon. Each perforation is disposed on a corresponding registration mark. The web of label stock has first and second edges. Each perforation is transverse to the first edge of the web of label stock. The method may also include the additional step of cutting the web of label stock between the first and second edges to define a web of labels. The web of labels has a predetermined width. Thereafter, a user may print information onto the first side of the ink jet stock paper.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating ink jet labels. The method includes the step of laminating a second side of a web of ink jet stock paper to a first side of a web of tag stock paper to provide a web of label stock. A plurality of perforations is die cut in the web of label stock. Thereafter, the first side of the ink jet stock paper is printed upon.
The first side of the ink jet stock paper is coated and the web of label stock has first and second edges. The method may include the additional step of cutting the web of label stock between the first and second edges to define a web of labels. The web of labels has a predetermined width. A second side of the web of tag stock paper includes a plurality of registration marks. Each registration mark is aligned with a corresponding perforation and is transverse to the first edge of the web of label stock.